NWU Zoology centennial special issue

African Zoology, Volume 55, Issue 1 celebrates 100 years of Zoology as a scientific discipline on the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University (NWU), previously known as the Potchefstroom University College (1921–1951) and the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education (1951–2004). 

This centennial issue consists of ten papers written by several of the zoology staff and postgraduate students along with national and international collaborators. Topics covered in this special edition include: amphibian research, conservation, ecology, ecotoxicology, nematology, as well as parasitology. This collection showcases only a small portion of the current research underway in the Zoology department and highlights some of the research fields within the department.

"This has given us a great opportunity to reflect on some of the history of the department and point out the different research fields covered within this one department. With a longstanding tradition of interdisciplinary research, both past and present, one can only expect more great things from the Department and we look forward to seeing what the next 100 years hold for NWU Zoology," said Kerry A Hadfield, Guest Editor from the Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management at NWU.

There are currently 14 academic staff members in Zoology at NWU with a wide range of research interests and specialities. This includes terrestrial, freshwater, estuarine, marine and veterinary research and comprises a number of disciplines such as: behavioural studies, biodiversity, biosystematics, conservation, ecology, ecotoxicology, entomology, epidemiology, environmental management, environmental pollution, integrated pest management, molecular studies, nano toxicology, parasitology, and taxonomy. 

Although not all of the fields of interest are included in this special edition, there are ten papers highlighting some of the research currently being done within the Zoology discipline.

NWU Zoology is well known for its amphibian research, conducted by members of the African Amphibian Conservation Research Group (AACRG) whose research focuses on the health, parasitic infections and conservation of amphibians. It is thus only fitting that this issue contains three frog-related papers There are also three papers related to ecotoxicology in this special issue.

The Guest Editorial is available to read at no cost here.